He Just Needs To Be Alone
by PrincessxXxDarkness
Summary: Neal goes undercover for a case to catch someone from his past. Only now he isn't as weak as he was when he was a kid. He's going to have to open up to Peter if he wants to make it out sane. TRIGGER WARNING. Child abuse, rape, attempted suicide.


Neal is many things. He's a conman, he's tricky, and sometimes he's just a straight forward liar. But something Neal isn't is a person who would harm a child. He also never imagined that he would have to go undercover as a person who would do such sick things to a child.

"James D. Sanders. Clean as a whistle. Not even a speeding ticket when he was a teenager." Peter stood in front of the room. His eyes looking at each member of his team before looking down to the folder flipped open in his hands.

"Then why are we here?" Neal asks raising a delicate eyebrow. His feet propped up on the table with a copy of the folder on his lap, he hadn't even glanced at the papers in it yet.

"He's slippery. This guy has been tossed around for years now, but we're going to stop him." Peter doesn't look up from the papers. "There was a rumor going around a few years ago about a sex operation," His small team don't try to interrupt him. This isn't the worst case they have taken on, but it is a more serious one that no one jokes about. "With children."

The air in the room seems to have thickened. Neal places his feel on the ground and sits up straight. The folder now on the table and flipped open. He has to see the face of the man that would do anything to a kid. He can feel the anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach as he stares down at the picture. Neal's mask firmly in place.

"What are we going to do, Boss?" Diana, the single women on the team and one of the best agents, asks.

"There was an agent undercover in '02. He had reported finding strange thing around Sanders' house, but he went missing before he could come in and get anything on file. We need someone to go undercover and get evidence about the sex operation and a confession about the missing agent." At this all eyes went to Neal, whose own eyes haven't left the folder in front of him. His steely eyes look up at his best friend, and boss, before nodding his head silently.

"We'll be going off the anklet for this one. Jones, we need recorders and smaller than we have in the past. We need to be really careful about this one." Peter Burkes looks over at Neal then his other two agents. "We also need to find a house for Neal to be in. Upper class."

Diana stood up with the folder tucked tightly under her arm. "I'm on it, Boss." She turns, making her dark hair whip around her head, and walks out of the room. Followed closely by Jones.

"Neal," Peter sit in front of his friend and pushes another folder over to him. "This is who you'll be."

Neal fights off a grimace as he opens this new folder and sees a new ID staring back at him. "Anthony J. DiNozzo. CEO of a computer company. I already got ahold of a laptop and we downloaded child pornography." Peter could see how uncomfortable his CI is getting and couldn't help but sigh. "Neal, I know this is going to be a tough case, but we're going to get this guy. And who knows, maybe I'll take you to that museum you're always talking about."

Neal looks up at his friend with his smile fitted in place. "I got this Peter. Don't worry, I'll make sure to take my sweet time at the museum." He stood up, with both folders in his hand, and walks out the door with his head held high.

This case is going to be Hell. Neal continues to walk past his desk and into the elevator; only when the doors shut did he let his smile fall off his face. He slid his phone out of his pocket and started to type a text message to the only person who would understand what is going on in his head.

**To: M  
>From: Neal<strong>

**Why didn't the bird fly away?**

Neal shut the screen off and slid the small device back into his pocket. His normal lunch break is an hour so he had enough time to get to the park, see Mozzie, and make it back to his desk with time to spare. He tilts his hat to the side, to make sure it covers his face, and keeps his eyes forward. If anyone wants to sneak up on him then now would be the perfect time, with his mind distracted, so Neal takes a glance around and marches forward. The phone vibrated in his pocket.

**To: Neal  
>From: M <strong>

**5 Minutes. **

Neal doesn't need to respond. Mozzie said he would be there in 5 minutes and Neal trusts him to show up, Mozzie has a way of showing up when he's needed, and it seems like he is needed more than ever now. It doesn't take long for Neal to reach the park, he sits at a bench that's far off and to the side. He closes his eyes and tries to relax. When he opens his blue eyes he sees his short friend taking up the space to his right.

"Neal."

"Moz."

Neal slides both folders to his friend, but keeps his eyes forward on the statue in the middle of the park. The wind rustling the leaves and the shuffle of papers are the only noises going on around the two friends.

"Neal," The bold man pauses. "Are you sure about this?" He takes his glasses off and stares at his friend.

"Moz, I have to do this." His blue eyes not wavering from the still statue. "I need to get the word out. I'm looking for.." his voice trails off. He never imagined he would have to say these words. "I need a house, Mozzie. And I need the word out that Anthony DiNozzo…me. That I'm looking for an in with kids."

Mozzie takes the folders in his hands and nods. He will always be there for his friend, but he isn't sure what this case will do to Neal. He silently stands, takes one last look at his friend who hasn't moved, and walks away. His job is to go to the street and look around. With the folders in his hands he could either make or break this case for his friend. Before completely leaving the park he looks back at his friend one last time, Neal is hunched over with his head in his hands. They both never imagined that Neal would have to deal with the Sanders family again.

Neal only sat for a minute before he stood up and starts his short walk back to June's house. Fuck it. They didn't need him at the office and Moz had his back covered with the streets. So what is the point of going back to work if he couldn't do anything? He needs to get into character. That's a lie; he just needs to be alone.


End file.
